Descending from Heaven: Reset
by Older than Time
Summary: A rewritten version of my story: Descending from Heaven. In this story, Naruto and Sasuke are left in a dying world after the defeat of Madara. All hope seems lost when Sasuke remembers a certain scoll... NOT YAOI! NO SLASH! A time-travel fic. DISCONTINUED!  Left up for Posterity
1. Prologue The Beginning of the Beginning

_Here's the slightly rewritten prologue. The story begins to differ more from the original version in the later chapters._

**Prologue – The beginning of the beginning**

_Rasengan!_

_Chidori!_

The cries of two shinobi echoed throughout the cavern. Two young men, one blonde, the other raven-haired, called up all their strength and signature techniques. They had been fighting a grueling battle against the ancient leader of the S-ranked organization, _Akatsuki_

Naruto Uzumaki stood proudly cloaked in the Fox Shroud with crimson _Rasengan_ swirling in his right hand. Sasuke Uchiha was to Naruto's right, smirking there beside him, with a black _Chidori_ chirping louder than ever before in his left hand. The teens smirked as they merged their two _jutsu_ together into an all new _jutsu_, _Rasenchidori_, a swirling orb of chirping lightning and wind chakra, whose glow lit up the cavern like the morning sun.

Staring at the duo with his _Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan_ was Madara Uchiha. The ancient Uchiha had initially scoffed at the audacity of the two whelps. Yet, now after fighting them, he was feeling the effects of old age for the first time.

Again and again he had clashed with the blonde Jinchuuriki and his traitorous descendent. The fools just wouldn't stay down and _DIE!_

As the two came charging for one final assault, the old Uchiha felt a cold chill travel down his spin. He had overused his _Sharingan_ and was low on chakra. He knew he wouldn't be able to get away from the two young ninja charging towards.

_A new feeling gripped his black heart: __**Fear**__._

Acting quickly, Madara flared his _Sharingan_ and tried to activate his Space-Time _Jutsu_ as the two teens' attacks touched his cloak. But alas, it was a futile gesture. The combined force of Naruto and Sasuke's _jutsu_ and his own low chakra supply rendered the technique useless, allowing their attacks to strike him dead-on.

_An explosion of energy rippled through the cavern, kicking up dust and debris…_

As the dust slowly settled, the fallen figures of Naruto and Sasuke lay at the edge of a 50 foot crater with Madara at the bottom. The two were fatigued beyond belief and more than a little torn up from the battle and the backlash of the _Rasenchidori_.

_The battle was over, they had won…_

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><p>Sasuke just stared at the man that was responsible for the destruction of his clan. He couldn't believe they beat Madara. After everything he'd been through, the bastard was finally done. Naruto was happy that they stopped the maniac from enslaving the world.<p>

"_HA!_" Naruto shouted as he slowly rose to his knees, smiling like an idiot. "_TAKE THAT ASSHOLE!_ " Sasuke turned his head to the upright blonde and a light clicked on in his mind. Slowly his lips began to twitch and a smile wormed its way onto his face. He reached up and propped himself up against Naruto's kneeling form. "He's dead", he gasped out, leaning heavily on Naruto. "…he's dead…" Sasuke muttered this mantra over and over, completely unable to believe that they won.

Naruto looked at the Uchiha out of the corner of his eye. The war was over, the battle was won, and he got his best friend back. All was good in the world. The two suddenly heard a shuffling sound from Madara's "corpse."

The world's strongest Uchiha lay there, mangled from the _jutsu_ and slowly losing consciousness. "_How could I have been defeated by these two whelps? How could they have gotten so strong?"_ These thoughts filled Madara's mind as he slowly lifted his head to stare at the two kneeling boys. He lay there beaten and slowly bleeding to death while his two opponents were celebrating his defeat. Hearing his slight movements, they turned their gazes to the dying Uchiha.

"Listen well you wretched dogs! You think you've won but you have failed!" Madara gasped out as darkness clawed at the edges of his vision. "You've defeated me, yet you've failed in your goal. My dream is complete!" Sasuke and Naruto stared at the dying man with shocked faces. "Yes, I've achieved my goal. There's peace in this country and you want to know why? It's because everything is either dead or dying anyways!"

_The two's eyes widened in realization…Everyone was dead?_

Madara painfully chuckles as more blood rapidly pools around, while the two teens begin to comprehend his words. "The Gedo Mezo, despite being incomplete, fulfilled its purpose. It brought peace to all by sending them to their graves! I may not have become the God of this world, but at least you two will live 'til the end of days, rotting in this dead world!" With that said, Madara Uchiha died with an insane smile on his face.

The solemn shinobi rose painfully to their feet and stared at the now quiet man. Leaning heavily on each other, they slowly shambled their way out of the cave and out into the world.

Their gloom deepened when they surveyed the barren wasteland that was once the Elemental Countries. Everything was either charred black by wildfire or reduced to rubble from the earth-shattering aftershocks of the _Akatsuki_'s incomplete weapon. The _Gedo Mezo_ had exploded when Madara attempted to use the statue with only eight _bijuu_ contained. The resulting blast had left everything outside the cavern desolate and destroyed all life.

_As far as Naruto and Sasuke knew, they were the last people alive…_

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><p><em>And that was it... Tell me what you think. I only editted it to my liking, but the story is gonna be changing a lot more in the next chapters.<em>


	2. Chapter 1  Too stupid to fail

_Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto and whatever else I shoved in here, I'd be one of the richest assholes in the world. But I'm not, so I don't own them…_

_Here's the rewritten Chapter 1 – Too stupid to fail_

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><p><strong>Chapter 1 – Too stupid to fail<strong>

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><p><em>A tattered leaf flutters in the wind…<em>

_The shuffling of dragging feet echoes…_

_A barren land void of any vegetation stretched as far as the eye could see. Burned corpses of both man and beast littered the landscape. And up ahead lay a great ruined gate, once proud and tall. Naruto and Sasuke had finally returned to Konohagakure…_

Our two conquering heroes have finally returned to Konoha, a village that lay in ruins. Both boys slowly limped along the streets to Hokage Tower, gazing sorrowfully at their failure. With each step they took, more and more devastation met their eyes.

The bodies of Kotestu and Izumo, the forever _Chunin_, lay burned in the dirt by the great gate of Konoha…

A ruined counter top was all that was left of Ichiraku Ramen, both Teuchi and Ayame dead…

The hospital was reduced to rubble, its patients and doctors killed as the building caved in…

And the face of the _Sandaime Hokage_ was all that was left of the Hokage Monument, the last guardian of a lost village…

The Village Hidden in the Leaves lay destroyed with its last shinobi returning broken and defeated. A shadow fell over the two when had finally reached the ruined Hokage Tower. The _kanji_, _**hi**_, though tarnished, was still hanging on the tower. It silently proclaimed "…_the will of fire will burn as long as those who keep it in their hearts stand strong…_"

Indeed, for Naruto held the will of fire within him, and would carry it till the end. Sasuke reached forward and pushed the remains of the double doors open and they stepped inside. Both boys made their way to the top, to the Office of the Hokage. They both stopped in front of the strangely intact doors and with sad smiles, they pushed the doors open and walked inside. There, standing where it stood since the village's founding, was the desk of the Hokage. Both shinobi strode slowly in front of it and sadly whispered,

"…_mission success, Squad 7 reporting in…"_

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><p>Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha shed silent tears as they stood at attention in front of that desk. The two almost could feel Kakashi and Sakura standing there beside them, comforting them with reassuring. And then in unison, they sank into the chairs that had somehow survived the destruction. Naruto glanced over at his raven-haired friend. "Ne, Sasuke," Naruto whispered, chuckling sadly. "I finally brought you back to Konoha. And I didn't have to break your arms and legs to do it." He reached over and softly punched Sasuke's shoulder.<p>

Sasuke chuckled, and then let out a pained gasp. "But I think you just re-broke my shoulder", he said as he rubbed it in sad humor. He turned his head to stare out the shattered window and at the broken mountain. Sasuke suddenly had a funny thought.

"_Dobe_, I think they have enough space for you face now," he said, pointing with a chuckle. Naruto just smiled and replied, "Yeah, with Baa-chan's big head up there, I didn't think my face would have fit."

Then the blonde's face turned sour, "But what's the use? What's the use of being a Hokage of a dead village?" He got up angrily and made his way over to the window. He turned to Sasuke and gestured to the ruins of Konoha. "Konoha is gone and I couldn't stop it from happening!"

Rage slowly leaked into his voice as he whispered, "We may have succeeded in our mission, but we failed the world! We were supposed to stop this from happening and we failed!" Naruto then sat and laid his head on the desk. "We failed… I failed…"

Minutes passed as Naruto slumped against the desk and Sasuke had a peculiar expression on his face. Then the raven-haired boy looked as if he finally solved a great mystery. Sasuke stood and leaned on the Hokage's desk with his back towards Naruto. He slightly turned his head to the blonde and said, "_But what if we could fix it_?"

Naruto's head shot up and he stared at the Uchiha in disbelief. "What?" Sasuke turned to Naruto fully and placed both hands on the desk, shoulder length apart. He leaned in close and said with a dead-serious look, _"…What…If…We…Could…Fix…It?"_ A second passed before Naruto leapt to his feet and grabbed the collar of Sasuke's scruffy shirt. He slammed him into the desk and screamed, "**What do you know?**"

Sasuke shoved the angry Nin away and stood up. He looked back at Naruto and said, "What if we could fix all this? What would you say if I knew away to make sure all this never happened?" He then strode to the open doors, "What if we could go back and save everyone?" Sasuke ran out the doors while Naruto followed, glaring at the retreating Uchiha.

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><p>Naruto ran after him through the Tower and out into the village. They weaved through the alleys and streets, leapt over buildings and dodged wayward debris until they reached their destination:<p>

_The Abandoned Uchiha District_…

They slowed to a walk and eventually reached the Uchiha Council Building. Sasuke gestured Naruto to follow him into the building. In the main room, Sasuke knelt down and lifted the tatami mat like he did all those years ago. Both boys then dropped down and entered the hidden room that held the Uchiha clan's greatest secrets. Naruto looked on as Sasuke immediately began searching the room, checking every surface.

"What the heck did you mean back there _Teme_?" he demanded. "What the hell are we looking for?" Sasuke glanced up at the blonde.

"A long time ago, I found this place after the Massacre. Itachi told me I had to come here if I wanted the secret of the _Mangekyou Sharingan_", the Uchiha said as he continued to root around the altar that held the _Mangekyou_ Scroll. "This scroll holds the secret to gaining the _Mangekyou Sharingan_, but there was this passage that I didn't understand. I never understood what it meant until just now." The Uchiha then stood up and concentrated as he tried to remember.

"So what, there was some weird message in the scroll and now you suddenly understand it?" The blonde questioned the contemplating raven. "What does that have to do with fixing everything?" The Uchiha turned to the confused blonde. "The passage was a riddle or some sort of prophecy. It was really vague, but it hinted at a way to fix something after it's already happened."

Naruto grabbed Sasuke and asked, "What did the scroll say?" Sasuke sighed then said in an eerie voice:

_A choice is made and a world is lost._

_Sorrow and death are within our gaze._

_With the eyes of misery, a sacrifice shall be made._

_Reverse the flow and regret no more._

Naruto looked clueless, "What did that mean?" Sasuke once again shoved Naruto away and said, "It means that there's some way to correct a fix something that's already happened, but we need to give up something to make it happened. It will probably only work with a _Mangekyou Sharingan_."

"So?" the blonde gestured questioningly. "What do we have to do?" Sasuke just shrugged at him and said, "I don't know exactly. I think we need to sacrifice something, but need my _Sharingan_ to do it." Naruto crouched down and gripped his blonde locks in frustration. He glared up at Sasuke and said, "Well then, why are we here? If you don't know what we need to do to make it happen, then why did we come all the way here?" He then sat down against the wall. "We could have had this conversation at the Hokage's Office.

"I thought there'd be something here that would explain what we needed to do," Sasuke said as he took a seat beside Naruto. "Maybe there was some secret compartment in somewhere on the altar that hid another scroll." He then glared up at the altar holding the Scroll. Naruto followed his gaze and had an idea. "Hey, what if we need to sacrifice the scroll? You know, since it's on an altar and everything?" Sasuke then stared at the blonde incredulously. "_Sacrifice the Secret Scroll of the Mangekyou Sharingan!_ What gave you that idea?"

Naruto shrugged and said, "Well, you already have your freaky eyes, so you don't actually need the scroll."

"But what about future generations of Uchiha?" Sasuke asked. Naruto gave Sasuke a funny look. "Listen, I don't know if you've noticed, but we're the only survivors. And I'm not help you repopulate your clan, let alone the world, even if I can turn into a girl."

Sasuke blushed at the imagery, but he just shook his head, "Okay, but how do we sacrifice it?" Naruto stared up at the _Mangekyou_ Scroll. "Well, what if you used those black flames of yours? We burn stuff for sacrifices and those flames can only be made with your super monkey eyes." The raven-haired Uchiha looked at Naruto and wondered if this idea was sheer genius or just plain stupid. Naruto then quickly stated, "If it doesn't work, you'll have the scroll memorized just in case and we can high-tail it out of here if something goes wrong."

Sasuke just sighed and said, "I really hope this works." Both boys stood up and walked up to the altar. Sasuke opened the scroll and quickly memorized its contents with his _Sharingan_. The two then looked at each other and nodded.

_Here goes nothing…_

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><p><em>There's the first chapter, revised. Please review.<em>


	3. Chapter 2 A Tunnel and the World

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto…sadly… If I did, I'd be retired, living at a beach house in Osaka, and have a hot Japanese maid massaging my feet…_

_Here's the rewritten Chapter 2 with a new title: A Tunnel and the World_

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><p><strong>Chapter 2 – A Tunnel and the World<strong>

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><p><em>Here goes nothing…<em>

Sasuke focused his red eyes on the _Mangekyou_ Scroll. He slowly gathered what chakra he could spare from his tired body for a small _Amaterasu_.

_**Looking back in time:**_

… _[Sasuke] said __"Okay, but how do we sacrifice it?" Naruto stared up at the __Mangekyou__ Scroll. "Well, what if you used those black flames of yours? We burn stuff for sacrifices and those flames can only be made with your super monkey eyes."…_

A small burst of black fire shot out of Sasuke's right eye and struck the scroll, lighting it up instantly. Sasuke hopped back towards Naruto who had retreated to the room's entrance. Both watched as the scroll burned very slowly, despite being made of paper. Minutes passed as they watched, waiting for something to happen, until Naruto nudged the Uchiha in the ribs.

"What?" he asked.

"Say that riddle-thing," Naruto said at the inquiring Uchiha. Sasuke's eyes widened in recognition and stepped forward, taking a deep breath.

_A choice is made and a world is lost._

_Sorrow and death are within our gaze._

_With the eyes of misery, a sacrifice shall be made._

_Reverse the flow and regret no more._

For a few agonizing seconds, nothing happened…

Then the scroll instantly turned to ash and the resulting smoke shifted into a wispy ring 7 feet tall. Sasuke leapt back again to Naruto's side, wary of the smoke ring. The two shinobi watched curiously as the inside of the ring was filled with red smoke, taking the image of a matured _Sharingan_. Slowly, the _tomoe_ of the phantom eye began to spin, the red smoke glowing more brightly each passing second.

_Foom! Foom! Whoosh!_

The _Tomoe_ suddenly stopped and the red smoke burst forward until it engulfed both boys and retracted, taking a hazy grey copy of the two back into the ring.

"What in the name of _Yomi_ was that?" Naruto whispered to a freaked out Sasuke. Both boys stood crookedly, still positioned in recoil as they observed the red smoke retreat and the _tomoe_ resumed their rotations. Their hazy grey copies swirled in the red eye, following the _tomoe_.

Sasuke reactivated his _Sharingan_ and a look of wonder filled his face. "Naruto," he said, turning to the blonde. "I think its working!" Naruto looked at Sasuke in confusion until he noticed the Uchiha's active _Sharingan_. "You can see what's going on?" he asked.

The Uchiha nodded and gestured at the phantom _Sharingan_.

"The Eye seems to be processing our thoughts and desires that were copied into our grey clones. I saw images in those copies, memories of our pasts", he said while gesturing at each copy. "It looks at our memories, sensing whether or not we are using this _jutsu_ for suitable reasons." Naruto looked at the big eye and wished once again that he had those freaky red eyes just so he could see what was happening.

Silently, the boys waited as the Eye turned slowly, cycling through their memories, and became more anxious with each passing minute.

_...a young Sasuke in the hospital after the Uchiha Massacre…_

…_a young Naruto standing before a crowd of cold gazes…_

…_their first "kiss"…_

"Hey Sasuke," the embarrassed blonde _Jinchuuriki_ said, looking at the equally embarrassed Uchiha. "What happens if the Eye doesn't like what it sees?"

Sasuke suddenly looked worried. "It'll most likely kill us. Consume our souls or something equally gruesome…" Naruto's face took an alarmed shape."Doesn't matter though, we would have eventually died of starvation," The Uchiha continued, glaring darkly at the Eye. "With all the devastation caused by the _Gedo Mezo_, the soil is probably very toxic, so nothing will be able to grow. We wouldn't last a month, unless we decide to eat each other, then the survivor would last two months at the most…"

Naruto looked at Sasuke, horrified at his dark thoughts. The raven-haired teen just smirked at the blonde's gullible face and let out a small chuckle. "I don't think that the Eye will reject us. More than likely, it'll probably send us to whenever it sees fit, instead of where we want to go."

"But Sasuke, we didn't choose any specific time when you lit up the scroll", he said, rather confused. "Or did you decide and not tell me?" Sasuke looked at Naruto and said, "Well, I chose a little before our graduation exams." "Why then?" I think that's when our presence will have the best effect. Think about it, if we can make sure to score well enough to be on the same team again, but not score high enough to raise suspicion, we can cause the best outcomes to occur."

…_the first meeting with Zabuza…_

…_the end of the Battle for Wave…_

"Score high enough? Why would our scores matt…" Naruto was cutoff when the Eye stopped spinning and expelled their hazy copies back to the two teens. The Eye's shining light dimmed to a dull pulsing glimmer and all sound stopped. The two young shinobi waited with baited breaths as the Eye pulsed dully, its light growing dimmer and dimmer with each beat.

…_whuang…_

…_whuang.._

…_whu..ang…_

The pulses stopped completely and the red smoke of the phantom _Sharingan_ faded leaving only the black ring of smoke. An awkward minute of stillness passed when the two teens were suddenly sucked into the black ring like a _Bansho Tenin_ by Pein. The smoke ring faded as well when the boys vanished into nothingness.

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><p><strong>Tsuzuku (to be continued)…<strong>

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><p><strong>(NOT!)<strong>

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><p><em>Naruto and Sasuke were sucked through the smoke ring, entering a great whirlpool-like tunnel…<em>

_The tunnel twisted and turned as they quickly flew through, images of familiar things like kunai, the Valley of the End, and the __**Gedo Mezo**__ were seen just outside the tunnel. Some strange images were also seen, like a strange being outfitted in blue armor, with a great deformed right arm in the shape of a claw, wielding a massive sword. A great monument, shaped like a giant pyramid, floated by…_

_The two soon saw a bright red light at the end of the tunnel. Its ominous glow sent shivers throughout their bodies…_

_**As they neared the red light, they were suddenly jerked out of the tunnel and into darkness.**_

_An eternity of darkness surrounded Naruto and Sasuke. The nothingness filled them with great fear, for the only thing they could see was each other. In an instant, they were engulfed by a plethora of sounds, ranging from screams of terror and pain, to great resounding howls of beasts. A bright white light appeared a great distance in front of the two. It was so bright; it blinded the shinobi for a time. Their eyes slowly adjusted as the sounds faded away. A path of ethereal light extended towards them and a figured appeared at the end. Slowly it walked to them, its footsteps echoing like a beating drum in the silent darkness._

_The figured stopped in front of the boys and for the first time since the battle with Madara, Kyuubi made its presence known._

"_**Run away, brat!" it cried. "Run…Run…RUN!"**_

_Naruto was horrified at the sheer terror Kyuubi exuded. He noticed how its voice screamed not only in his mind, but also in the surrounding darkness, for Sasuke could hear it as well. The figure, unidentifiable to the shinobi, chuckled with a strange voice. It sounded neither male nor female. It wasn't the sound of a beast or human either. It sounded like an entire world was speaking at the same time…_

"**Well if it isn't the two intruders", IT whispered to the two shinobi. IT tilted its head to the side and said in an amused voice, "And the Kyuubi no Kitsune as well…" IT crossed its arms in a smug manner. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen…" And then IT threw its head back and let out a barking laugh that echoed throughout the nothingness.**

_Sasuke and Naruto glanced fearfully at each other while __**IT**__ continued to laugh, sounding as though a billion different beings were laughing at once. Naruto could hear the Kyuubi thrashing within the Seal, howling in sheer terror. Luckily, or rather unluckily, Naruto found his courage. He took a deep breath and shouted at the laughing being._

"_**Who the hell are you?"**__ Naruto shouted, pointing directly at __**IT**__. _**IT**_ stopped laughing and stared at Naruto, clearly amused despite the fact that the two couldn't actually see _**IT**_s face. Sasuke looked at the idiotic blonde, wondering if it would have been better to starve to death back in the Elemental Countries. _**IT**_ somehow raised its unseen eyebrow in greater amusement. "Yes", Sasuke thought. "Starving to death would be better than this…"_

"**You're either brave beyond comprehension," IT**_ said, staring at the loudmouth blonde. _**"Or dumber than an amoeba…"**_ Sasuke snickered and muttered under his breath, "He's both at the same time." _**IT **_turned to the snickering teen and noticed he was an Uchiha._

"**So, you're probably the reason for this meeting," IT **_decided. Sasuke stopped his snickering and froze up as he stared at _**IT**_. _**"You have those miserable eyes, don't you? And you did the ritual, didn't you?"**_ queried the being. Sasuke nodded, sweating in fear._

"**Well?" IT**_ asked, clearly laughing at them silently. _**"What did you two want? You interrupted my daily beauty nap and now you're just staring at me like two Gizka faced with a Rancor."**_ The two Nin clearly didn't know what _**It**_ was talking about. _**IT**_ sighed in exasperation._

"**Listen," It**_ said, very frustrated. _**"You called me when you sacrificed that scroll, so I pulled you out of the tunnel of swirling doom to find out why. I'm a little irritated, so you better tell me what you want or I'll shove you back in the tunnel. You'll die a horrible, gruesome death after a thousand years of torture and bad sitcoms." **_The two teens' eyes widened and Naruto cleared his throat. In a shaky voice, he said, "We want to go back in time to save our world from being destroyed." _**IT**_ threw its arms up in victory._

"**There we go! If that's what you want, OK!" IT **_proclaimed. _**"Let's get to it. Follow me, and remember: **_**walk towards the light!"**__Turning around,_** IT **_practically skipped to the light at the end of the ethereal path. Warily, the two shinobi followed the skipping being into the light. The Kyuubi was once again heard, screaming in fear as they moved closer and closer to the glow._

"**WAIT!" IT **_yelled, stopping both shinobi in their tracks_. **"I can't just let you through! Not without administering the **_**Test!**_**" **_This frightened both of them._ _"A test? Was it gonna be a gruesome task, full of danger and deceit?"_

"**Here we go!" IT** _started, pointing at them dramatically._ **"To pass this test, you have to answer on question. But be warned, no one has ever answered correctly!"**

"_What happens if we answer incorrectly?" Sasuke asked fearfully. _**"Your souls get obliterated as your bodies get befouled by the demons of hell," IT** _declared cheerfully_. _They were screwed if the failed._

"**Okay, here's the question: What flavor of Ramen is the best?" IT **_asked, clearly satisfied that they'd never succeed. However, Naruto's eyes lit up in victory while Sasuke smacked his head at the sheer stupidity of the question._

"_Blasphemy!" Naruto yelled. He had this in the bag. "There is no greatest ramen flavor! As the greatest food and the most glorified gift bestowed upon us by the almighty ones, ramen is in of itself the greatest. All flavors of ramen simply equate to awesome and any attempt to classify one as the best demeans ramen's greatness! Ramen is the best, pure and simple!" With that said, Naruto crossed his arms and huffed. "That's the answer!"_

**IT **_stared at the blonde while Sasuke was staring intently at a kunai in his right hand. He wondered if he would have enough time to kill himself before his soul was obliterated._

"**In..cre…AMAZING!" IT** _yelled, hopping around in a circle, hands in the air. _**"We actually have an enlightened one in our midst!" IT**_ suddenly stopped and stared at Naruto in sheer joy. _**"You've passed! It's such an honor to finally meet one who truly comprehends the greatness of ramen!"**

_Naruto leapt in air, shouting his joy to the blackness while Sasuke twitched at the scene before him. The odds of _**IT**_ asking about ramen would have been astronomical._

_Naruto was never gonna let him forget this…_

"**Alright! Let's get going!" IT**_ stated and a door appeared behind the two boys. As they turned to look at the new door, _**IT **_shoved them through with a big push, cackling madly as _**IT**_ followed them through._

_Here we go again…_

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><p><em>Yes, the test was idiotic and seemed tailor-made for Naruto. It was very hard to create a test that satisfied my weird thought-process and my insanity, so I chose this one out of eighty-seven others…<em>

_Read & Review please_


	4. Chapter 3 Insanity of Normality

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any other copyrighted elements within this story…_

_Here's the rewritten chapter 3. The story is gonna change much more from the original from here on out._

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><p><strong>Chapter 3 – This is it! Naruto, Sasuke, and a guy named Fred<strong>

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><p>..."<strong>In..cre…AMAZING!" IT<strong> _yelled, hopping around in a circle, hands in the air. _**"We actually have an enlightened on in our midst!" IT**_ suddenly stopped and stared at Naruto in sheer joy. _**"You've passed! It's such an honor to finally meet one who truly comprehends the greatness of ramen!"**

_Naruto leapt in air, shouting his joy to the blackness while Sasuke twitched at the scene before him. The odds of _**IT**_ asking about ramen would have been astronomical._

_Naruto was never gonna let him forget this…_

"**Alright! Let's get going!" IT**_ stated and a glowing doorway appeared behind the two boys. As they turned to look at the portal, _**IT **_shoved them through with a big push, cackling madly as _**IT**_ followed them through._

_Here we go again…_

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><p>"What was taking you so long?" a feminine voice asked, rather frustrated.<p>

Both boys opened their eyes, but were quickly blinded by the sudden brightness. Naruto and Sasuke slowly rose from the ground, shaking their heads to clear away the fog. Standing up, they stared at their new location. They were standing in a good-sized room, large enough to hold a dozen of Naruto's shadow clones next to each other, hands stretched wide. A dark brown sofa sat a foot to their right with a plump armchair stood to their left; a short table between the two. The walls were tall, painted a pleasant tan color, framed with dark wood floor runners. Giant windows replacing two of the walls, showing bright blue skies and giant clouds of fluff outside, were to their backs.

"Well?" the voice asked again. Their eyes turned to the source. A little girl, maybe 8 years old, was standing in front of them. She stood there, hands on her hips, glaring at them cutely. "Huh?" Naruto asked dully. "Who're you?"

The girl pouted. Her shiny brown eyes glared harder at the two shinobi.

"I'm the one that should be askin' that, you idiot!" She said, crossing her arms and tapping her sandaled foot. Naruto and Sasuke looked at her with skeptical looks. They glanced at each other confusedly, but looked back at the fuming 8 year old. "Seriously though," Sasuke asked her. "Who are you and where's that thing that followed us through?"

…_Don't be that thing…Please?_

"You mean Fred?" She asked as she tucked a dark brown lock of hair away, smiling cutely. "He went back to sleep. He's my imaginary friend." "**IT**s name's Fred?" Naruto asked. "What kinda name is Fred?" The girl glared at the blonde once again.

"HIS name is Fred," she stated proudly. "It's Fred because I decided that was his name. Since I said his name was Fred, he became Fred. So there!" Sasuke just stared at the little girl, thinking, _"Great, a bratty little girl with a supernatural being as an imaginary friend brought to life."_

The girl then looked at them, seemingly confused. Her eyes went wide and she took a deep breath. **"DAAAAAAAADDYYYYYYYY!"** she screamed, breaking Naruto and Sasuke's eardrums. The whole room shook and the windows rattled dangerously. _"Damn, what a pair of lungs!"_ the two thought at the same time. They were lying on the ground, covering their ears when she finally stopped.

* * *

><p>…<em>Are we dead yet? Wait…that isn't…<em>

A new figure had appeared. However, it wasn't a man like they thought it would be. It wasn't even **IT** (now known as Fred). It was a woman. A pretty woman… a really pretty woman; ok, she wasn't just pretty, she was freaking beautiful. She was tall, easily a good foot taller than them both. Her long black hair was like silk, glittering in the sunlight. The woman wore a long lavender robe that ended a bit above her ankles. She had a lithe figure, similar to that of a dancer, but exuded the aura of an elite ninja. They could see she was barefooted, but since her back was turned, they couldn't see more.

"Hello dear," the woman said. She had a pleasant voice, they learned. "Your screams would wake the dead, dear one." They could tell the woman loved the little girl from the way her voice was soft and nurturing. The girl blushed cutely, suddenly bashful and shyly hugged the woman.

…_a mother and daughter? Cute, but we need to know what's going on…_

Sasuke and Naruto got back to their feet. The blonde cleared his throat, but was ignored by the two hugging females. Sasuke tried, but the result was the same. Eventually, the two separated and the little girl was sent to _Kami_-knows-where. The woman turned to the boys and arched her eyebrow. She gestured to the sofa while she took a seat on the armchair.

They took their seats and an awkward silence filled the room. Both teens fidgeted and glanced at their host, but the woman, she just sat there relaxed with her head propped up by her right hand. Finally being able to see their entire host, they could see that she wore a large white T-shirt and a pair of purple pajama bottoms. After what seemed to be an eternity their host finally spoke.

"Well, what do two shinobi from the now-fallen Village Hidden in the Leaves want with me?" she asked, staring at the two 'curiosities'. The two glanced at each other and Sasuke was the one who decided to speak.

"We wanted to go back in time to save our home from destruction," Sasuke explained to her. Naruto nodded and spoke up, "Yeah, after those _Akatsuki_ bastards screwed the world over, we ended up fighting Madara. Even though we beat him, we still failed." Both boys saddened a bit at that thought. The women just rolled her eyes. "But even though we failed the first time, we want to try and fix it," Sasuke continued. "We know what needs to be done and we won't fail our comrades again." Naruto smiled and nodded again in complete agreement.

The woman rolled her eyes before sitting up, seemingly giving them her full attention. "Well, that does sound important," she began as the boys smiled. "You two _obviously_ have a good reason for this _grand quest_." Her voice took a sarcastic turn. "I mean, why else would two _blood-stained killers_ come to my family, practically demanding our help."

She then leveled a glare at the two flustered shinobi. Naruto jumped to his feet and started gesturing wildly, saying, "Hey, we just followed the instructions from some stupid scroll the _Teme_'s family hid in their cellar, lady." He crossed his arms as he continued his tirade. "We burned the scroll like we were supposed to, and then we got sucked into this giant eye-thingy. Then we were floating through the tunnel of doom. We ended up in this big black place and that girl's imaginary friend, _Fred,_" he spat out that last part. "Scared the crap out of us, he did. We talked for a bit then we ended up in here after shoved by him into this door-thingy made of glittery light stuff."

…_idiot…gonna get yourself killed…_

He nodded, concluding his rant and plopped back onto the sofa next to Sasuke. Said Uchiha face palmed at the blonde's rant. "_Naruto was really gonna get them killed…"_ he thought to himself. The woman smirked at them, finding the blonde's rant rather humorous.

"I see, you're either very stupid (which is very likely) or very brave (also very possible)," she said, staring at Naruto. "You want to go back and save your village? If that's what you want, then it's a rather simple, yet infinitely complicated task." She stood up and placed her hands on her hips. "Well, what are we waiting for?" She then walked to the glass wall, facing the blue skies. "Are you sure this is what you want? If you two do this, there's no going back," she said, glancing at them out the corner of her eye.

Both shinobi stood up and declared in strong voices, "Yes ma'am!" She smirked at them and gestured for them to follow. Walking to a blank portion of wall, a doorway appeared and they walked on through.

_...here's the start of the divergence…_

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 3 is done. Some of you will probably see that not much is different. Like I said, the chapters are a bit revised but will start to differ later on. Tell me if it's better or worse than before.<em>


	5. Chapter 4 Tripped into the Past

_Here's the rewritten Chapter 4_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4 – Descending from Heaven<strong>

* * *

><p><em>Last time:<em>

"_I see, you're either very stupid (which is very likely) or very brave (also very possible)," she said, staring at Naruto. "You want to go back and save your village? If that's what you want, then it's a rather simple, yet infinitely complicated task." She stood up and placed her hands on her hips. "Well, what are we waiting for?" She then walked to the glass wall, facing the blue skies. "Are you sure this is what you want? If you two do this, there's no going back," she said, glancing at them out the corner of her eye._

_Both shinobi stood up and declared in strong voices, "Yes ma'am!" She smiled at them and gestured for them to follow. Walking to a blank portion of wall, a doorway appeared and they walked on through._

* * *

><p>Naruto and Sasuke followed the woman, but immediately regretted it. Through the doorway was a wall of searing light that blinded them, burning pain shot to their eyes.<p>

The woman looked back in confusion, wondering why they weren't following. "Oh", she said, looking on as they gripped their eyes in pain. "I forgot to mention that the high-intensity retinal scanner…" She shrugged dismissively and walked on.

"_Dobe_," the Uchiha said as he recovered. "I hate this place already." Said blonde nodded in agreement. Both were sufficiently numb to their pain and followed the woman once again. This time however, they were much more wary of any more pain-inflicting devices. They appeared to be in a room similar to the infinite blackness form before, except that they, along with the woman, stood on a large circular platform of light. Thousands of lights flickered in the darkness; some swirling in a lazy spiral pattern, while others merely pulsed dully in the black.

_A thousand flashing lights, a thousand worlds beyond the horizon…_

* * *

><p>There, to the side, stood the woman. She was clicking several symbols on a transparent keyboard. The boys moved next to her, waiting in relative silence.<p>

After a few moments of clicking, millions of lights flew in front of her, becoming stars and planets. The blonde and raven-head were somewhat confused, but the woman seemed to know what she was doing. She contemplated the scene and a white halo zoomed to each star. Apparently, the woman was searching for something.

"Whatcha doing, lady?" Naruto asked, unable to remain silent. His patience was non-existent...as usual...

Sasuke face palmed at the_ Dobe's_ impatience. Here they were in a strange, impossible place and Naruto was being an idiot, as usual… Sasuke wondered whether death was better than possibly being obliterated by a woman whose name they didn't know. Said woman glanced at the two, rolling her eyes at them.

…_I guess that's a good sign…_

"Finding your universe of course," she said rather plainly, still staring at the starfield and following the halo's movements. "This may take quite some time, seeing as there are literally millions of universes in existence." She turned to Naruto and Sasuke. "Also, you have to realize that for each universe, there are an infinite amount of alternate realities. She gestured to the screen. "What you see there is an insignificantly tiny portion of the multiverse. The search could take at least a few centuries."

"CENTURIES!" the blonde cried.

"Or millennia," she said shrugging her shoulders. "Really depends on luck."

Naruto and Sasuke boggled at the reality of their predicament. This was truly impossible situation.

_BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!_

* * *

><p>Both shinobi dropped into ready positions, weapons out and glaring in every direction for the source of the sound.<p>

"Oh, found it!" the woman exclaimed. She turned to the two and smiled victoriously. "You did?" Naruto asked skeptically. "I thought that it would take forever!"

"Well, I decided to search for energy similar to yours and found a small cluster of existences that matched. Then I filtered out the negative alternates to your energies. After that, it was a simple matter of finding your universe." She looked rather smug. Both sweatdropped but were really happy that they wouldn't have to wait a few centuries to get home.

"Wait," the woman said, holding up a hand. "This isn't right." She moved back to the keyboard and began typing furiously. Her fingers flew across the board, tapping the symbols. Images and lines of numbers appeared on transparent screens around the selected star-cluster. A big red exclamation point flashed on the center of each screen.

She turned back to the worried shinobi. "It seems your reality no longer exists." Both boys fell into instant despair. "Hold on," she added quickly. "Your section of the multiverse still exists, but the exact part of existence you're from isn't there anymore."

"So, can we can't go back?" Sasuke asked, confused. Naruto looked up at her, appearing confused as well.

"You can go back, just not to the reality you started out in," she told them. "There are a few realities similar to yours. You can go to one of those."

"But won't we cause major problems if we do?" Sasuke asked her. Naruto's face scrunched up in concentration.

"Yeah, what he said," Naruto added. "Won't the space-time continuum go all out of whack?" Sasuke looked at Naruto in shock.

"What? Jiraiya taught me a lot about seals, remember?" Naruto asked Sasuke, clearly insulted. "If I screwed up, I could've torn a hole in the fabric of reality."

_Naruto being smart… Clearly, this was a screwed up place…_

"No, of course not," she said, clearly pleased that the two were a bit smarter than their idiotic appearance suggested. Really, a flamboyant _orange_ cloak on a blonde? And an open kimono top on a pale teen just screamed 'please molest me, I'm into older men!"

"You'd take the place of your analogue self." At their confused glances, she elaborated. "You'd replace that reality's version of you. But you'd take on the qualities of that person." A table and three chairs appeared between the shinobi and the woman, complete with a set of china for tea. She gestured for them to sit, pouring some tea for herself and them.

"You see, if that version you're replacing is younger, older, or even the opposite gender, you would be exactly the same as them." The explanation was simple and to the point. "If you do this, you have to accept that you could possibly have to be a completely different person."

The blonde and raven-head looked at each other, clearly worried.

"Are you firm in your resolve?" The woman asked the two.

Both looked back at her and nodded firmly. Naruto and Sasuke understood the risks, but were still determined to go back and not make the same mistakes.

"Very well then," she got up and returned to the keyboard. "I've chosen a reality that is essentially identically to your former one, with a few key differences."

"What's different from our own?" Naruto asked.

"Well," she began as a few images appeared on the screen. "For one, young Naruto has a bloodline." Naruto perked up at that. "Also, Sasuke's _Sharingan_ is already activated." This pleased the Uchiha greatly. At least he'd get a headstart on his training. "Lastly, Sasuke no longer has an elder brother." This set off Sasuke. No Itachi? It seemed too impossible to believe.

"So the Massacre never happened?" He asked hopefully. "No, Itachi Uchiha doesn't exist in this reality. Hitomi Uchiha, however, does exist."

_Hitomi Uchiha? Itachi's a girl...(cue hysterical laughter)_

"I'm joking!" The woman let out a rather superior laugh, her right hand raised to her mouth. She looked like an aristocratic woman laughing at the misfortune of the common folk. Sasuke let out a relieved breath. There still were some stuff that made sense.

"So, are you two ready to go back?"

"Yes ma'am!" Naruto and Sasuke stood up, raring to go.

"Ok, let's get you to your new reality!" The woman smacked a large yellow button that had escaped their attention. How they didn't notice it before, they'll never know. It was on a freakin' pedestal for crying out loud! Around them, the blackness changed. All the stars stopped moving while flashing red light filled the now quiet room. The red strobe light stopped abruptly and the room grew darker and darker. The surrounding stars flickered out in the thousands. Then the red light flashed brightly one last time...

* * *

><p><em>The room's three occupants were slowly consumed by the red light and disappeared from sight. They then reappeared in a round room with a raised platform in the center. They faded into existence dead center of the room. A fourth figure wearing a hooded black robe appeared in front of them.<em>

"So boys," the figure began. "For the most effective results and to anchor yourselves, you'll have to make a few drastic changes the minute you get to your new reality." Naruto and Sasuke nodded; though they were very wary of the new figure. What they had assumed was a robe was actually a sleeveless trench coat with a cowl, which was a hood that casts a dark shadow over the wearer's face. Underneath the coat, the figure wore a dark red, long-sleeve shirt tucked into a pair of baggy urban-camo cargo pants. His black boots were very worn and covered with what they feared to be dried blood. A pair of black ANBU-style armguards adorned his arms. The now identified man's face could not be seen completely. Only the lower half of his face was visible. His eyes, however, shown through the shadow of his cowl.

"Who the heck are you?"

…_Three guesses who that was… the first two don't count and the third can't be Naruto…_

"I'm the one who's gonna be sending you back to do whatever it is you're gonna do," the figure said. "Didn't my wife explain all this already?" Naruto and Sasuke's eyes widened. _His Wife?_

So this was that weird girl's father. The man didn't seem like the father-type, but who knew if he was telling the truth.

"Anyways, since you two were rather rude, simply demanding our help without asking our names, I'll introduce my family properly," the man said, pulling his wife into a one-armed hug. She looked rather content with this arrangement as furniture appeared around them. A large fluffy sofa appeared behind the couple as they sat down on it. Naruto and Sasuke found themselves seated in identical armchairs, even though they never seated themselves. And then that weird little girl appeared on the sofa between her parents.

The man spoke first. "You may call me Ashitaka, this beautiful women is my wife, Kanna." He then placed a hand on his daughter's adorable head. "And this is my pride and joy, Haruka." She smiled brightly at her father's praise while her mother looked on proudly.

"So, Ashitaka," Naruto said, looking very serious. "You're the one who's gonna send me and the _Teme_ to this new reality, where we'll go through our lives, making sure that history doesn't repeat itself?" Sasuke was miffed at Naruto's insulting nickname for him, but was secretly pleased that Naruto was being serious.

"Yes, I am," Ashitaka confirmed. "But Kanna seems to have forgotten that the rules of Space-Time don't exactly apply when sending a _Jinchuuriki_ across time and space. Especially the container of a high-class demon like the _Kyuubi no Yoko_.

_...an interesting development..._

* * *

><p>"Because of the power the demon in your belly can access," Ashitaka continued, gesturing at the blonde's midsection. "We have some…wiggle room when making the transfer." This was very interesting to the two shinobi. 'Wiggle room' meant more possibilities.<p>

"What kind of 'wiggle room' are we talking here?" Sasuke asked, clearly pondering the possibilities.

"Well," Ashitaka began, very amused. "We can almost instantaneously condition the bodies you'll be occupying to your specific needs. There's also the matter of your _Kekkei Genkai_. If it wasn't for the Kyuubi, you'd have to deal with having a level two _Sharingan_ instead of a mature one. But, since the bijuu's energy is near infinite, we can use it to manipulate the body to match yours. This means having access to all your techniques early on." This made both boys cheer loudly.

…_Well, Naruto leapt up and cheered… Sasuke just smirked…but he was moon-walking in his head…_

"However, the summoning contracts you signed in your reality are null and void." Ashitaka added in. This stopped Naruto and Sasuke short. No summoning meant no Sage Mode or Snake _Jutsu_.

"But," Ashitaka said, interrupting their train of thought. "I can supply adequate replacements for the contracts you lost." Both boys perked up at that. New contracts meant they still had access to great _jutsu_, but they'd have to adapt to the new unfamiliar creatures.

"For the Uchiha, I have three contracts for you to choose from." Ashitaka reached under him, pulling three small scrolls out of the sofa. The two boys wondered how the scrolls got there.

"Here are your choices," he said as he laid out the scrolls on the table in front of them.

…_that wasn't there before…_

"We have the Cat Contract, the Hawk Contract, and the ever popular Squirrel Contract!" Sasuke smirked at the first two, but looked confused when Ashitaka said the Squirrel Contract was popular. Haruka was giggling at the Uchiha's face, but was happy that her father was offering the Squirrel Contract.

"Ah, I see that you question the might of the Squirrel Contract." Ashitaka smiled at the confused Uchiha. "You wouldn't believe how effective squirrels are in and out of combat. They make excellent scouts, messengers, ambushers, and frontline combatants. After all, who would expect squirrels to attack them? Especially _ninja_ attack squirrels?"

Sasuke could clearly see the advantages of a Squirrel Contract, but chose the Cat Contract, seeing as the Cats were allies in his old reality.

Ashitaka and his daughter Haruka were clearly disappointed that Sasuke didn't choose the Squirrel Contract. Haruka passed the Cat Contract to Sasuke, muttering how everyone underestimates the might of the ninja squirrel clan.

* * *

><p>Naruto was bouncing in his seat, eagerly waiting for his turn as Sasuke finished signing the Cat Contract. Ashitaka turned to the bouncing blonde, pulling out more scrolls from the sofa.<p>

"For you Uzumaki, I have four Contracts to choose from." The Hawk Contract had disappeared, but the Squirrel Contract remained. "Here we have the Tortoise Contract, the Wolf Contract, the Rabbit Contract, and lastly, the Squirrel Contract remains!" Naruto gazed at the four scrolls, unable to decide which to choose.

"Hey Ashitaka," Naruto asked, looking back to the black-clad man. Said man was whispering in his daughter's ear while his wife, Kanna, ran her fingers through said daughter's long hair. Ashitaka turned his attention to the blonde. "Which Contract should I choose?"

"Well Naruto," Ashitaka began. "Each Clan has their own advantages and disadvantages." He gestured to each scroll. "For example, the Tortoise Clan has a great many defensive _jutsu_ of all types due to their protective natures. But they do have a few powerful offensive techniques as well. You are also more likely to master your Sage Mode quickly because every Tortoise that can be summoned is a Sage in his or her own right. The biggest disadvantage is that you have to prove your worth to each tortoise before you can summon any of them in battle. The Tortoise Clan numbers in the hundreds."

Ashitaka held up the Wolf Scroll next. "The Wolf Clan is the best overall, statistically speaking, and is full of exceptional hunters and trackers. They are always summoned in packs, numbering from three wolves to a hundred at any time. They have a balance of offensive and defensive _jutsu_ and specialize in all five chakra elements. The Clan's Sage is very amiable and easy to get along with, but you have to go through a year-long rite of passage to be able to summon any of the upper wolf packs to aid you. And to become a Sage of Wolves, you have to spend 2 years exclusively in their home."

"The Rabbit Clan has fewer advantages than the Tortoise and Wolf Clans, but is still a good summons clan." Ashitaka held up the white Rabbit Scroll. "The Rabbit Clan numbers in the thousands at anytime, but you can summon them individually, unlike the Wolf Clan. They have few _jutsu_ for you to learn, but those techniques are very effective when used right. The Clan is also full of weapon users, specializing in every weapon imaginable. You'll be able to summon any of the right off the bat since there's no requirement to summon any of them. However, the biggest downside is that the Rabbit Clan has no Sage Mode due to their reliance on weapons."

Ashitaka put the Rabbit Scroll down and reverently held up the Squirrel Scroll. "Sasuke never gave me the chance to explain the benefits of the Squirrel Clan since he's already familiar with the Cat Clan." He held the Squirrel Scroll carefully, showing it to Naruto, who held his breath in anticipation.

"The Squirrel Clan outnumbers the Rabbit Clan eight to one and some squirrels use weapons as well. They specialize in Wind _jutsu_ and have a well balanced repertoire of offensive and defensive techniques. They have excellent stealth capabilities like the Wolf Clan and can easily field any number of units like the Rabbit Clan. Squirrels can travel great distances in very little time, utilizing their own form of _Shunshin_, which make them excellent scouts and messengers. They can also become nearly undetectable to everyone except for their summoner(s) and those with bloodlines or techniques uniquely suited for tracking. This makes them excellent spies and ambushers. Their biggest advantage overall is their ability to summon their own allies." Naruto and Sasuke looked at Ashitaka in surprise.

"Yes, the Squirrel Clan has a rare ability to summon more clan members, making them ideal for quick deployment. This means that if you summon a mid-ranked or high-ranked squirrel, they in turn can summon a number of underlings to fight alongside of them."

Naruto looked at the Contract in amazement. The Squirrel Clan was awesome. In fact, they seemed uniquely suited for Naruto, seeing as one of his signature techniques is making clones.

Sasuke, however, looked skeptical and asked Ashitaka a few questions.

"What about Sage Mode? Do the squirrels have a Sage Mode or even an equivalent?"

Ashitaka hung his head in defeat. "No, they have no Sage Mode…" Haruka ended up pouting at the Uchiha's satisfied smirk. Naruto slumped in disappointment.

…_looks like the Squirrels are out…_

"Hey, what about the Boss summons?" Naruto asked, suddenly remembering how useful Gamabunta had been when fighting Shukaku-posessed Gaara as well as Pein.

"The Tortoise and Wolf Clans have giant Boss summons, but the Rabbit Boss only go up to your chest while the Squirrel Boss is just below your waist."

"Oh," Naruto said as he thought about each Contract carefully. He had to choose the best contract for their plans as a whole. After several moments, he made his decision.

"I'll sign the Wolf Contract," Naruto declared sadly. Ashitaka handed over the Scroll while Haruka pouted.

_Another missed opportunity for the awesome Squirrel Clan…_

Upon signing the scroll, the furniture went up in smoke. Both boys landed on their butts, while Ashitaka appeared standing. Kanna took Haruka's hand and both faded away.

"Where'd they go?" Naruto asked Ashitaka as he got up.

"Oh," Ashitaka replied. "It's time for bed. It's almost midnight." He glanced at the two shinobi as the finally got to their feet. "Oh, by the way, you'll get the equipment you came here with later. Just get on your team first, I'll make sure you get all your stuff back good as new." Ashitaka snuck a glance at his wrist where a strange device was strapped. "Are you two ready to go? There's no better time than now."

Naruto and Sasuke nodded. They were ready, especially now that they had new contracts and still had their favorite _jutsu_. Ashitaka waved his hands in an intricate, yet seemingly random manner.

* * *

><p>…<em>a hundred glittering lights surrounded the two boys…<em>

_The room around them faded into black…_

_The two shinobi were back in that dark nothingness. Ashitaka remained in front of them, still making those random gestures. He then flashed through a dozen handsigns, moving too fast even for Sasuke's __**Sharingan**__ to follow._

"See you boys later," _he said. _"Hope you two have an excuse ready for when everyone notices the big changes."_ He then finished the sequence with the Ram sign, exclaiming loudly:_

_**Jikū ton: Asahi ni ryokō no Jutsu!/Space-Time Release: Art of the Travel into the Morning Sun!**_

_Light erupted from Ashitaka and consumed the two boys…_

_They were falling…_

_They opened their eyes to the rushing of clouds…_

_Naruto and Sasuke were falling down to the ground from the sky…_

_There, far down below, they could see __**Konohagakure**__… It was just like they remembered it…_

_Only the mountain had four faces…_

_They did it… They were gonna make things right…_

* * *

><p><em>There we go, different enough? Please review cuz chapter 5isn't gonna be out for a little while.<em>


	6. Chapter 5  Memories Abundant

_Hi everybody! This is my new chapter 5! It's something I felt was needed to explain some things that some of you may have had questions about._

_Warning: Character Death!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5 – Memories Abundant<strong>

* * *

><p><em>Naruto and Sasuke fell from the portal, now on their way to the past. This was their true first step to make things right.<em>

_Naruto felt oddly philosophical as he watched the world coming closer and closer. He thought that he should be afraid that he was seemingly falling to his death, but he just felt excited, yet peaceful. He thought of the things that had gone wrong in his past and of things he would change in his future._

_Ghostly images appear before his eyes as he reminisces…_

…_**the dreaded first kiss…**_

_There was no way in hell that he would be repeating that this time around! Sasuke would not be his first kiss, _dattebayo_!_

…_**team introductions with Kakashi…**_

_He probably won't change anything, but he may have a few last pranks up his sleeve for Ol' One-Eye…_

…_**that fateful bell test…**_

_HA! He and Sasuke knew the trick to that test. Heck, the only potential problem was Sakura. But Sasuke could handle her quickly. All he needed to do was 'hnn' in her direction and she'd probably follow him to the ends of the world._

…_**the mission to Wave…**_

_Now there was a event that needed some serious redoing! He needed to figure out a way for both Zabuza and Haku to live and join Konoha…_

…_**the Chunin Exams...**_

_The written part would be easy, but the second portion would be tricky. They'd have to get the scroll they'd need within the first hour and hightail it to the tower like the devil was on their heels. And the devil would be on their heels, metaphorically of course!_

…_**the Oto-Suna Invasion…**_

_Two goals for that…make that three! Part one: Beat Neji quickly and use the least amount of chakra necessary. Part two: Let Sasuke handle Gaara and while he (Naruto) helped the Hokage. Part three: Become Chunin and lose virginity to a hot older woman. Hey, he wasn't an apprentice of Jiraiya for nothing you know…_

_**...Sasuke's Defection…**_

_That would be happening this time around. Period._

* * *

><p><em>While Naruto was going over their tentative goals, Sasuke was contemplating how they got here. Not the falling from the sky part, but how the world ended and they got their second chance.<em>

_He knew what had happened, he just had a lot of trouble comprehending it. So instead of racking his brain to try and make sense of the jumbled thoughts, he just let them flow…_

…_**his defection…**_

_That was a major mistake, despite the enormous amount of strength and skill he gained from Orochimaru._

…_**the 'Reunion' of Squad Seven…**_

_Now that he looked back on his actions that day, he realized how obscenely gay he both looked __and__ acted…_

…_**killing Orochimaru…**_

_The Sannin had been all too easy to kill, the satisfaction was never great enough for him to brag about.. He would have to make sure the snake was at full strength, just for the bragging rights when he, Sasuke, killed Orochimaru. He would make it exceptionally painful for the old pedophile. He had been sure that he saw the Sannin staring at his body a little too intently…_

…_**killing Itachi…**_

…_**joining the Akatsuki…**_

…'_**capturing' Killer Bii…**_

…_**trying to assassinate Danzo at the Kage Summit…**_

…_**nearly destroying Konoha…**_

_The list could go on and on, but one event stood out the most…_

_The moment when he almost made the greatest mistake in this life…_

…_**the moment where Naruto almost truly died at his hand…**_

_That was the moment when everything changed. He could remember it clear as day…_

* * *

><p>His eyes stung.<p>

Sasuke stared across the clearing at the blonde shinobi. It was just like any other time Naruto managed to catch up to him. Nothing seemed different. The _dobe_ stood there with a determined look on his face while he [Sasuke] stared back apathetically.

_The fight was always inevitable. Naruto would shout that he was gonna drag him back to Konoha. Sasuke would scoff and insult Naruto and his supposed 'incompetence' as a shinobi. Eventually it would come to blows._

_It was always the same routine…_

The sounds of battle and rustling cloth filled the clearing. Over and over they clashed, neither giving the other an inch. Sasuke, as always, became frustrated by the insignificant gap between his and Naruto's skills. Sometimes Naruto would appear stronger, sometimes Sasuke would. It was a never ending cycle.

Sasuke weaved around Naruto's strike and would attempt to get in a good hit with his Chokuto. Naruto would dodge the blade and counter with one of his _jutsu_, whether it was a clone or a _Rasengan_, the routine was clear.

Then they would jump apart and charge up their respective _jutsu_, the _Chidori_ and the _Rasengan_. Sometimes they would use one of the many variations of the techniques instead. But it was always the same.

_The routine had been clear. The fight would always end the same. They never deviated…_

After their attacks cancelled each other out, they would say their usual mid-battle banter. Always something along the lines of '_I'm taking you back' _and _'You can't stop my vengeance'_.

Then they'd cry each other's names and shoot towards the other and continue the routine.

Strike.

Dodge.

Taunt.

Dodge.

Strike.

Taunt.

Strike.

Dodge.

Dodge.

Laugh.

Taunt.

Strike.

**Miss.**

_The routine had been clear…_

_But suddenly, Naruto deviated from the routine! They never deviated. It was a silent agreement!_

* * *

><p>The <em>dobe<em> attacked in the middle of Sasuke's strike, making the attack actually connect. It was never supposed to connect. Sasuke was always supposed to miss that last strike and then take his leave where the _dobe_ would promise that he'd drag Sasuke back to Konoha the next time they'd meet.

_But the routine had to change sometime…_

The Chokuto pierced Naruto's heart, still crackling from the _Raikiri-no-Kusanagi _that he'd always use. The blade was dripping with the blonde's blood while Sasuke just stared on, unbelieving.

Naruto collapsed against Sasuke, breathing raggedly as Sasuke stood stunned.

_**Why'd you attack? You were supposed to dodge DOBE!**_

Sasuke remembered the words he screamed. Naruto had just chuckled weakly, smiling all the while.

_**I had to do something… Figured that you'd still be laughing when I tried to knock you out…**_

The blonde collapsed completely at Sasuke's feet, blood rapidly pooling around him. The Chokuto had slipped out and still lay grasped in Sasuke's hand. Said Uchiha looked down in anguish.

_**That wasn't part of the routine DOBE! You were supposed to dodge! The attack would miss, hit the ground, and I'd escape in the explosion. That was the routine!**_

But Naruto just looked at him confused. The blood pool was getting wider.

_**Routine? What do you mean teme…? What routine?**_

Sasuke sank to his knees. Naruto didn't know?

_**The routine Dobe… We always follow the routine… It's part of the plan, remember?**_

Naruto had to know the routine. If he didn't, how would he follow the plan? How would he know what to do when the time came?

_When he finally beat Sasuke and did what any good Kage was supposed to do? What they were all supposed to do with traitors…_

_**What plan teme? I swear, the blood loss must be making me hear stuff…**_

Naruto's voice was getting quieter… His breathing was getting shallower… The blood wasn't stopping…

_**The plan, Dobe! The one where you finally beat me when you're the Hokage! The one where you beat me into the ground, drag me back to Konoha? The one where you get me a fair trial?**_

Tears began to fall from Sasuke's eyes. Naruto was staring at him in dying confusion. He wouldn't last much longer...

_**The one where I'm declared guilty… The one where I get executed… The one where I rejoin my family…**_

Sasuke was openly sobbing against Naruto fallen form while the blonde stared at him. He was supposed to know the plan. He was supposed to be the one to send him to his family. He was supposed to get the girl and live happily ever after.

_The hero is supposed to beat the villain…_

_**Tsuzuku…**_

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 5 is done...<em>


	7. Chapter 6 Success and Suspicions

_So, here's the old Chapter 5, still slightly rewritten, and reposted as Chapter 6. The major changes to the story start near the end of this chapter and will greatly differ in chapter 7._

_As for the new chapter 5, it has special significance to the story as a whole. Certain future chapters will be similar to that chapter, which will chronicle their journey to that final fight with Madara._

_So don't go screaming at me that Ngaruto can't be dead because he's still part of the story. It's a surprise that won't be revealed for a while._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6 – Success and Suspicions<strong>

* * *

><p>…<em><strong>Jikū ton: Asahi ni ryokō no Jutsu!Space-Time Release: Art of the Travel into the Morning Sun!**_

_Light erupted from Ashitaka and consumed the two boys…_

_They were falling…_

_They opened their eyes to the rushing of clouds…_

_Naruto and Sasuke were falling down to the ground from the sky…_

_There, far down below, they could see __**Konohagakure**__… It was just like they remembered it…_

_Only the mountain had four faces…_

_They did it… They were gonna make things right...was the ground supposed to be coming towards them that fast?_

**THUD!**

…_ouch…who knew that falling from thousands of feet from the sky and landing into your new body could hurt so much…?_

The new dimensional travelers landed in their respective bodies. To say it was painful would have been an understatement. They felt like they had been punched by a Gamabunta-sized version of Tsunade's fist, stomped on by the _Hachibi no Ushioni_, then gobbled up and puked up by that freak Zetsu. Thankfully, they fell unconscious in their own homes, waiting for the coming dawn of their new lives.

_**The Relatively Abandoned Uchiha District**_

Sasuke Uchiha woke up with drums beating in his brain and murder in his eyes. He would **kill **that Ashitaka! It was almost too fast for his _Mangekyou_ _Sharingan_ to catch, but he saw what that bastard did when everything flashed white:

…_**Jikū ton: Asahi ni ryokō no Jutsu!/Space-Time Release: Art of the Travel into the Morning Sun!**_

_Light erupted from Ashitaka and consumed the two boys…_

* * *

><p><em><strong>What we didn't see-<strong>_

_Ashitaka rushed forward just before the white light consumed them. He then lifted up his right foot and dropkicked the two teens into the vortex of grey smoke._

_Sasuke glared at the black-clad figure that just waved merrily at falling teens…_

* * *

><p>The asshole was probably planning to do that the whole time! Sasuke shook that thought out of his head, but immediately regretted it afterwards. His head was killing him! He felt like he had twelve rounds of specially imported sake from Lightning Country. The really good stuff, but would cost you both legs and your firstborn to get even a sip of.<p>

He staggered out of the room, groping the walls in an effort to find the bathroom. Finding said bathroom, he stumbled inside and took a really long, yet incredibly satisfying piss.

As he washed his hands, he gazed at his new and younger face in the mirror. He looked just like he did when he was a _Genin_. Well technically, he was always a _Genin_. They didn't really believe in ranks in _Otogakure_, everyone had been either an insignificant, weak servant of Orochimaru, or one of his insignificant, elite servants.

…_just like Naruto, huh?_

It seemed that the _jutsu_ was a success, but he couldn't be sure until he met up with Naruto. If Ashitaka had done the _jutsu_ correctly, both he and Naruto would be taking their graduation exam today.

Sasuke dressed in his old/regular outfit and strode out of his home quickly. The Abandoned District was quiet as ever, with the occasional bird crying out overhead. Sasuke guessed everything was gonna go according as they (read: he) planned, especially if the exams went off without a hitch.

He made his way through the relatively empty streets of Konoha. Shops were beginning to open up for the day. He managed to pick up a few fried tomatoes at the old stand he used to frequent (or still did) when he went to the Academy.

The Academy came into view, the other students lounging around in the schoolyard. The ones that were destined to fail or be cannon fodder were laughing and chatting excitedly, yammering about the coming exam. Sasuke spotted the young versions of the Rookie Nine in their usual spots. The Akimichi and Nara boys were sitting under the big tree. The Aburame kid was near them, examining an anthill in the shade. The loudmouth Inuzuka was sitting by the Academy doors, petting his _ninken_, Akamaru. Sakura and the Yamanaka girl were chatting with the other fangirls.

Sasuke was sure to avoid their notice. Naruto wasn't at the Academy yet and the Hyuuga girl was probably sta…spyi…_watching_ him.

Elsewhere, a lavender-eyed blunette sneezed cutely, almost drawing the attention of her crush. Said crush was decked in his usual orange jumpsuit, gorging himself on the blessed ramen of Teuchi Ichiraku.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Ichiraku Ramen Stand<strong>_

…_heaven…only 1200 ryo away!_

Naruto was currently on his eighteenth bowl of ramen. He hadn't had ramen in a _looooong_ while. Teuchi had been killed when the shelter he was hiding in was caved in. Ayame had been inconsolable and vowed to never make another bowl of ramen again. She had survived all the attacks on Konoha, only to be killed in the _Gedo Mezo_ Explosion.

Naruto was sincerely glad to see them again, but he knew he couldn't act too out of character. If he did, someone might have questioned the sheer amount of joy he would have exhibited.

Finishing up his ramen, he paid his tab and left for the Academy. He was gonna pass the exam this time, _dattebayo!_ As he walked, he noticed the figure following him.

_Hinata!_

He missed the shy blunette. She had admitted her feelings to him, but they hadn't been able to see where they could have gone. The Fourth Great Shinobi War had consumed all their lives; there hadn't been anytime for love, at least among the ninja. Hinata had been one of those who died in the early stages of the War.

Hinata had been killed defending a group of injured shinobi during an attack on Konoha. The group had been surrounded by _Akatsuki_ Nin. The enemy had bombarded the group with weapons and _jutsu_ while Hinata defended them with her Protective Eight Trigrams _jutsu._

She had held her ground, but was eventually overwhelmed. Naruto had been devastated and went on a rampage. Yamato had barely managed to calm him down using _Mokuton_ in the end.

Naruto swore he would talk to Hinata, but right after the exam. He didn't want to freak her out and make her faint and miss her test. Hinata was just too darn cute for her own good…

"So Naruto," Ayame asked. "Isn't your exam today?" Naruto looked at her stupidly, noodles hanging out his mouth. He stared for few moments, then went wide-eyed in panic.

"Shit!" He screamed. "I'm gonna be late!" Naruto ran off in the direction he knew the Academy to be. Sadly, he ran to where the Academy had been rebuilt after Konoha had been destroyed in Pein's attack…

* * *

><p><em><strong>The (Old) Shinobi Academy of Konoha<strong>_

…_going back to school…this sucks…_

Sasuke and the other students were seated in Iruka's class. Everyone was seated in their usual seats, with the exception of Naruto. Sasuke rolled his eyes in exasperation. The _Dobe_ was gonna be late. The stalker was seated in her usual spot, but the blonde was missing.

Iruka strode through the door and gave the same speech he gave in Sasuke's old reality. Mizuki walked in during the speech, carrying a stack of exam papers. Sasuke wondered what had happened to the silver-haired _Chunin_. Both sensei passed out the tests to each student. Naruto rushed inside at that moment. Sasuke was relieved that the blond made it on time. He inwardly winced at the sight of the familiar orange _monstrosity _that was his former signature outfit.

Iruka handed the Uzumaki a test and Naruto sat in an empty seat next to Sasuke.

"Made it back in time, eh Naruto?" Sasuke murmured to the blond. Naruto looked at him confused, but quickly got the message.

"Yeah!" he whispered. "Almost forgot what day it was." Sasuke chuckled at that.

Meanwhile, the rest of the class stared quizzically at the deadlast and the last Uchiha. The two were usually at each other's throats any other day; probably felt that Exam Day was a time of zero-aggression.

Both boys finished their tests quickly, having already taken the same test once before. Iruka excused them and they went outside to await the weapons portion of the test.

…_Naruto failed this test three times?_

"So, Sasuke," Naruto asked as they sat under the big tree. "What's so great about the Cat Contract? That Ashitaka guy never said what they're good for." Sasuke sighed and decided to explain.

"Well, the Cats have always been the allies of the Uchiha. I would have gotten it anyway if the Clan Massacre didn't happen." Naruto gestured for Sasuke to get on with the explanation. The Uchiha once again sighed at the _Dobe_'s impatience.

"The Cats are a mid-class summons clan, numbering to a little over 50 members to be summoned at any time. They are similar in ability to the Wolf Clan, but focus less on teamwork and more on stealth. They are more catered to sneaking around and gathering information."

"So they make good spies and scouts?" Naruto asked.

"Not just spies and scouts, but there are a few cats that specialize in medicine and poisoning. They can easily sneak into places and poison a target and then sneak back out. After all, who would suspect a house cat to assassinate a target," asked the smirking Uchiha.

…_no way some stupid Squirrel Clan could outdo the Cat Clan…_

"Do they have a boss summon?" the blond asked. "Well, no," answered Sasuke. "The Cats have always been a stealth oriented summons clan. They do however; have the ability to summon themselves to our world at any time."

"So Cats are just aren't suited for open combat. But they're still very useful if used in conjunction with the Wolves."

"But didn't Itachi have the Crow Contract?" Naruto added. ""No, he just preferred to use crows as part of his illusions. He always favored those birds." Sasuke answered.

* * *

><p>The rest of the class wandered outside for the next part of the exam. Both boys joined them as Iruka explained what was required. Each student was given ten kunai and ten shuriken each. The object was to strike the target accurately and consistently. Most of the destined failures scored between three-to-four successful hits among them. The young Rookie Nine however; they scored in the six-to-eight area.<p>

It was Sasuke's turn and he got a solid ten out of ten with both sets of weapons. Naruto went up and shocked the class by scoring the same. Iruka and Mizuki were very surprised by the sudden show of skill, but quickly shook it off. They announced that the _taijutsu_ portion was next.

The students had to show their proficiency in _taijutsu_ by fighting Mizuki while Iruka scored them. The destined failures once again scored in the lower area while the young Rookie Nine scored in the mid and upper areas.

Sasuke easily defeated Mizuki, but could tell that Mizuki was letting him win. But when it came to Naruto's turn, it was very clear that Mizuki was really trying to crush the blond. Iruka frowned and was about to step in, but Naruto easily knocked out Mizuki with a punch to the gut.

The class was once again shocked by Naruto's new level of skill. The deadlast had once again surprised them and knocked out their instructor. Iruka quickly herded the class inside for the _jutsu_ and final portion of the exam. Sasuke and Naruto smirked as the end of the test was in sight.

The _jutsu_ portion was predictable. Demonstrate the three basic Academy _jutsu_. Those were the _Kawarimi_, _Henge_, and _Bunshin no Jutsu_. They were ridiculously easy to do and the boys could do them without a sweat. The only problem was that Naruto still couldn't do the _Bunshin no Jutsu_ due to his enormous chakra reserves. His control was the same as his old reality, as was Sasuke's, but he still wasn't able to channel the miniscule amounts needed for the flimsy illusion.

…_stupid clones…why use flimsy illusions when you have the pure awesomeness of __**Kage Bunshin**__?_

This was where they had to be careful on what to say. Naruto performed the _Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_ for Iruka, which shocked him greatly. He couldn't wrap his mind around Naruto's new level of skill and his knowledge of a forbidden _jutsu_. Iruka had to talk to the Hokage about this, but still handed over Naruto's new forehead protector since he did make the required amount of clones.

Naruto strode out into the classroom proudly displaying his headband. Sasuke nodded at the grinning blond and both walked out of the Academy. The class continued their goggling at the strange new phenomenon that was the friendship between the two.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Abandoned Uchiha District<strong>_

…_not counting Sasuke's house…_

Both boys sat in Sasuke's room, going over the details of their incomplete plan. The Hokage would likely know of Naruto's use of _Kage Bunshin _by now. Iruka had been very shocked by it and had most likely run to the Hokage as soon as the Academy was over.

"What do we say to the old man, Sasuke?" Naruto asked as he sat on the floor. Sasuke was lying on his bed.

"We say that you learned it from the Uchiha Library. The _jutsu_ is there, as well as dozens of other rare techniques from other countries and Konoha. We could easily cover many of the techniques we know by quoting the library." Really, the Uchiha Clan's thieving ways were gonna come in handy. Thousands of techniques at their disposal and it was only the first day into their new lives.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Hokage Tower<strong>_

…_old men and lots of paperwork…yay us…_

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was contemplating the information given to him by Iruka. While everyone performed as expected, Naruto's performance was indeed a surprise. He wondered how Naruto became so skilled and where he could have learned the _Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_. Another surprise was the apparent friendship between the Last Uchiha and the Kyuubi _Jinchuuriki_. When had they become friends?

The Third knew he wasn't all knowing and that the two were likely to have found common ground when he wasn't observing them. Also, Naruto no longer needed to be guarded by any ANBU when he took the graduation exam the first time. By becoming a repeating academy student, the civilian council lost interest in the boy, deeming him a lesser hazard to the populace.

This left Naruto safe from attack by the villagers, but also made him an even greater outcast among his age group.

Now, after succeeding in becoming a _genin_, Naruto, once again, had drawn attention to himself, especially with his outstanding performance. Luckily enough, the civilian council was effectively powerless in matters concerning Naruto now that he was a registered ninja of Konoha. Even they wouldn't mess with someone that guards their very doors.

Still, the situation was curious and he decided to talk to Naruto about his sudden jump in skill.

"Bring Naruto here," he said to a seemingly empty room. "But don't startle him." A shadow nodded and flashed out the window.

"Why doesn't anyone use the door anymore?" The Third asked the now truly empty room. He swore his paperwork was snickering at him.

_**Tsuzuku…**_

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 6 is out, please review...<em>


	8. Chapter 7 Talks and the Corps

_Chapter 7 is here!_

_Hey everybody, my muses are jubilant and dancing. I've been getting so much inspiration lately, it's crazy. It's like the different anime and literature I've been reading are going at it like bunnies in my brain._

_I've so many ideas, it feels like I'm gonna end up mashing them together. So instead of ending up with a story that is full of stuff that won't make sense in the end, I'm gonna put up a poll in my profile. There are gonna be different ideas to choose from. Pick the one's you like best okay? Please note that these won't turn my story into a full crossover, but will just add a little more flavor to my story. I will not be adding in characters unless there is a very good reason._

_The choices so far are:_

_Bleach-ish elements added in; some __**Hado, Kido, **__and other miscellaneous stuff,_

_Soul Calibur elements added in; some weapons & fighting styles,_

_Harry Potter (not very likely…pertains mainly to Ashitaka & Co.)._

_So far, an element from movies, anime, and other shows and are already in here or going to appear soon._

_For those curious, those elements are:_

_xxxHolic (Kanna = inspired by Yuko & will influence story greatly)_

_One Piece (guess…)_

_Princess Mononoke (three guesses…)_

_Stargate Series (the hazy Sharingan portal & tunnel of doom, will appear in future chapters)_

_There are more elements hidden in previous and future chapters. For those that can list the ones hidden in each chapter, they get sneak peeks to future chapters and future stories._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7 – Talks and the Corps<strong>

* * *

><p>"<em>Bring Naruto here," he said to a seemingly empty room. "But don't startle him." A shadow nodded and flashed out the window.<em>

"_Why doesn't anyone use the door anymore?" The Third asked the now truly empty room. He swore his paperwork was snickering at him._

The shinobi leapt from building to building, faster than normal people could see. He quickly made his way to the apartment of one Naruto Uzumaki. It was surprisingly located at the very edge of the Red Light District, right next to his favorite bookstore.

The silver-haired Nin landed on the roof of the apartment and entered the roof access. The hallways were dimly lit, but well maintained. It was patched on certain portions of the walls, but overall, was very clean. He found the door to Naruto's apartment, door number 4.

He could hear two boys arguing and slowly peered inside where he beheld a surprising sight.

Two pairs of eyes gazed at each other with fierce determination. They burned with true fire and an indomitable spirit as the greatest debate of the century took place…

"RAMEN!"

"TOMATOES!"

"How can your squishy red pieces of crap compare to the glorious perfection that is ramen?" the blonde yelled at the raven-haired boy in front of him. "Ramen is the perfect balance of the premium ingredients, specially imported from around the world and brought together into one extraordinary combination that can instantly become suited to any occasion."

Sasuke crossed his arms, glaring at the fool. "Tomatoes are the best! They are carefully crafted masterpieces of nature that can satisfy any preference. Tomatoes are the greatest and I, as an Uchiha, declare that your pathetic soggy wheat-filled sludge…," Sasuke took a deep breath. "…vastly inferior."

The silver-haired Nin sweat dropped at the 'great debate' that was taking place. The argument seemed so out of character for the Uchiha, but fit the Uzumaki so well. He closed the door and knocked firmly on the worn door. He heard the voices stop and footsteps approached the door.

The door opened, revealing the young Uzumaki who glared at the shinobi in front of him. "Do you mind?" he asked. "We were having a heated debate on the divine cuisine when you barged in earlier. It was very rude, so we decided to ignore you. But I'm glad that you backed out and knocked. That showed some sense of common courtesy."

_So says the loudmouthed prankster in the bright orange jumpsuit…_

The Nin was amused by the blonde kid's words but quickly recovered his composure and delivered his message.

"Uzumaki. The Hokage wishes to see you immediately. I'll be escorting you to the Tower." Naruto appeared surprised but nodded in agreement. "Sure, let me lock up first." He moved to the side and grabbed his keys while Sasuke walked out of the apartment.

"I'll come with you," the Uchiha stated. "I've got to ask the Hokage something anyways." He seemed determined, so the Nin allowed it.

"Keep up," he said as the two followed him onto the roof. He quickly explained the mechanics of roof-hopping to the boys. "To properly roof-hop, you must send a burst of chakra from the soles of your feet at each jump and at each landing to insure you don't damage your legs." They both nodded with a smirk and formed the ram seal. They disappeared in a puff of swirling smoke, shocking the Nin.

"_They know the Body Flicker Jutsu?"_

* * *

><p>The two boys appeared outside the Hokage's door. Naruto smiled widely and kicked the door in, yelling "HEY OLD MAN! WE'RE HERE!"<p>

Hiruzen Sarutobi chuckled at Naruto's entry. He was glad to see Naruto so energetic, even at this late hour. He was surprised though, by the young Uchiha behind the blonde.

"I didn't summon you Sasuke," the Hokage said, subtly questioning the Uchiha's presence.

"I was with Naruto and needed to talk to you anyways." Sasuke shrugged. "I had the time."

Sarutobi nodded. It wasn't often that he spoke with Sasuke, especially nowadays. "Very well, this issue does concern you as well." The Third leaned over, propping his elbows on his desk. "I found Naruto's new found skills very surprising. I take it that you two have been training together?"

"Nope," Naruto said. He stood solemn and tall. Hiruzen was frightened by the dark aura Naruto was displaying. "We, Hiruzen Sarutobi, have come from a dying world. Our world was torn apart by the Fourth Great Shinobi War. We've come back to stop the darkness from consuming your world as well."

The dark aura combined with the dead serious expression stunned the Hokage into silence. The room seemed to darken when suddenly; the sound of snickers pierced the silence. The Hokage looked to the snickering Uchiha, realization dawning on him.

…_he's joking? …Thank the Kami…_

Both boys snickered at his foolish expression. Sasuke spoke up, "Yes, we have been training together for a few months. But it was only the last two weeks where we made any real progress. Well, where Naruto made any real progress."

"Screw You, TEME!" the blonde yelled indignantly.

The Third chuckled but asked, "What do mean by that Sasuke?"

"Well, up until two weeks ago, we've mainly been doing chakra exercises and some sparring. The Dobe couldn't pull off the Illusionary Clone technique no matter what we did, so we were stuck." He glanced at the Hokage, smirking slightly. "But then we found my clan library."

The Hokage's eyes widened. _"The Uchiha Library? I thought only the clan head knew its location."_

"You found your library? That's where you found the Shadow Clone Jutsu then."

Both boys nodded at that, but Naruto was positively smug. "Yeah, the jutsu was no problem, Old Man!" He declared, crossing his arms. "This is just the start. Just wait 'til you see all the awesome stuff I've got up my sleeves!"

"Both figuratively and literally, Lord Hokage," Sasuke added. "The Dobe literally has a hundred tricks up his sleeves; it's how he pulls off so many pranks so easily."

_Well, that solves those questions, but opens up so many more…_

"Well Naruto," the Third began. "You've certainly surprised me and your instructors. Are there any other secrets that need to be aired?" He stared at the blond intently. He couldn't afford the potential rise in his blood pressure. He wasn't as young as he used to be after all.

"Well, umm…" Naruto searched his mind for something to tell the Hokage without freaking him out or getting them arrested. "…Sasuke has his Sharingan!" Sasuke smacked Naruto's head.

"That was supposed to be a secret!" Sasuke yelled. He sighed but turned back towards the Third and activated his Sharingan. The Third was shocked at the sight of the fully matured Sharingan staring at him.

"How can you have a fully matured Sharingan? It takes a life-or-death situation just to activate it!"

_What could have happened to make Sasuke believe he was gonna die?_

* * *

><p>"Well, it's actually Naruto's fault," Sasuke said sheepishly. "We were having a serious spar and were using every trick we knew. I ran into one of his traps and one of the tags he used looked like an exploding tag. It was right in front of my face, so I really thought I was about to die. Turns out it was an exploding <em>paint<em> tag."

Sasuke sighed at the memory while Naruto smirked even wider. "It's a story that I really don't ever want to repeat, ever!"

Sarutobi was surprised, but just chuckled at the ridiculous cause. "I assume that the constant training you received from fighting Naruto's clones let you Sharingan rapidly mature?"

"You'd assume correct. It's a very effective form of training and helps me gain a lot of experience fighting multiple opponents of similar strength and skill." Sasuke said in a sage-like voice. Naruto just mocked him by mouthing the words with various contorted expressions. The two really were friends judging on their behavior. The Third was glad he really had nothing to worry about.

"Well, you're performance today surprised many, especially with both of your past performances. But it helped ensure that you both ended up on the same team." The Third stated proudly. They would make good shinobi in the near future.

"Hey Old Man," Naruto near shouted. "Who's the girl on our team gonna be?"

"Sakura Haruno," he answered. "She had the highest grades, academically. Physically, she's one of the weakest in your class. Since both of you scored exceptionally well in the physical portion of the exam, it evened out your team's overall score."

_Our 'team's overall score'…?_

Sasuke was intrigued by the last part of that sentence. "What do you mean by the 'team's overall score'? We weren't even a team yet."

"During the last few months of your school year, I, along with the R&D Department and your instructors create preliminary teams based on your current and projected scores to help us see how our future Genin teams would be structured. We're able to effectively create preliminary teams and predict which teams will actually become true Genin of Konoha."

"Some students, however, are just doomed to fail or be sent to the Reserve Corps." The Third gazed at their enlightened, yet sad expressions. "The projections we make are usually quite accurate with a small margin of error. The few students that do surprise us are just that, few. Most other times, there are rarely any 'surprises' that we don't foresee."

"So, did you ever predict that I'd become a Reserve Corps nin?" Naruto asked the Third. Said man just chuckled.

"No, we always predicted you'd become a ninja. We just needed an instructor that worked well with your…situation." Hiruzen had always been confident in Naruto's future. The R&D Department was a division of ANBU that did as their name said. They researched and developed whatever would help the village's future. This included its future ninja. The Third was glad that the ANBU were completely loyal to their Kage, past and present. They respected and followed the Fourth's wish completely. The ANBU had guarded Naruto when he was younger, keeping him safe from all who would harm him.

They later regretted making his senses so attuned to their chakra signatures. This allowed Naruto to easily avoid him during his escapes. The only ones that caught him nowadays were Neko and Iruka. Neko being the closest thing Naruto had to a mother or sister during his younger years while he had come to trust Iruka as an older brother.

…_bet they can't keep up with him now…maybe not…_

* * *

><p>While the third contemplated the R&amp;D ANBU, Naruto and Sasuke were equally engrossed in their own thoughts. Naruto's thoughts revolved mainly on his past childhood, but Sasuke's took a different turn. He was amazed at the faith the Third had in Naruto. When he had gone through the Academy in his previous youth, he thought Naruto was the epitome of failure. Naruto had failed twice and sorta failed a third time. Then he proved almost incompetent in every aspect of his duty as a ninja when they had first started out. He had frozen up during his first encounter like a coward. Then they ran into Zabuza.<p>

Sasuke had been trembling in fear from the killing intent Zabuza put out but Naruto just shrugged it off. Then Kakashi got captured, but Naruto made a plan on the spot that got him out. Then during the Battle of the Bridge, Naruto had beaten the same Nin he failed to beat. Naruto would continue to shock Sasuke in their future exploits. All their adventures to this very day proved one thing: Naruto would be Hokage, regardless of whatever reality they were in. Sasuke would make sure of it.

"Well Naruto, you've settled my curiosity," the Third stated to the thought-filled boys. "What did you wish to speak to me about Sasuke?" Said boy glanced slightly at Naruto before turning his attention to the Third. "Well, there's something we found in the library," Sasuke started out. "There were a few things that…enlightened us to certain secrets…" Sasuke trailed off while staring the Third in the eye.

Sarutobi began to sweat internally. Had Sasuke discovered the truth of the Massacre? So many things went through the Hokage's mind. Theories, guesses and boats of paranoia plagued his mind as the boys stared at him.

The silence grew with the rising tension; the room was deafening. Finally, the Third spoke. "What sort of secrets, Sasuke?" The Uchiha took what seemed to be a calming breath before speaking.

_**Tsuzuku…**_

* * *

><p><em>And that's chapter 7...<em>

_The real story is gonna begin in a few chapters..._

_As for the supposed 'death', it'll all be clear eventually._


	9. Hiatus Notification

_Hey Everyone._

_I'm currently going on a brief hiatus to get ready for my freshman year at college, so the chances of me updating in the coming month are very slim. If **Inspiration©** decides to dry-hump my face again, I'll update, but don't count on it._

_Please check out my profile for information on upcoming chapters and stories._

_If you like the story you're reading now, please check out the other stories I have written, especially **Naruto – Living as a Toy**: an experimental fic that is actually almost completely original and never-before-done. I haven't found anything like it on any other sight._

_Also, for those reading **Descending from Heaven: Reset**, please make use of the poll on my profile. It might help me update faster._

_And one more thing, for further info on my OCs, please check my profile, just under the story section._

_Signing off,_

_Older than Time._


	10. Announcement

_**ANNOUNCEMENT!**_

_I will be start publishing __**Becoming a Legend**__ in a week or so while finishing up __**Becoming a Hero**__ at the same time. Please be patient for just a bit longer while I get through some rough patches in the real world._

_As for my other stories, a few will be either moved to my __**Newborn Ideas**__ compilation or might be removed completely. A few well reviewed ones might actually become full-fledged fics themselves!_

_However, I regret to inform those that follow my __**Magical Secrets at Sea II: Piracy in Scotland**__ that that particular fic will be discontinued. I apologize, but I just can't seem to get anything to come out right._

_Anyone wishing to adopt the story can PM me and I'll send them my notes and the unfinished chapter I have for it._

_Thank you for your time,_

_I'm __**Older than Time!**_

_**A List of Fic changes that will be made:**_

_**Title of Fic – Destination/Action Taken**_

_Ultimate Ninja Reality - Newborn Ideas_

_Through the Looking Glass - Pending Rewrite_

_God's Disciples – Newborn Ideas_

_Descending From Heaven: Reset – Discontinued, Left up for Posterity_

_Becoming a Hero – To be Finished_

_Becoming a Legend: Prototype Prologues – Title Change: __**Becoming a Wanderer – One-Shot Collection**_

_Becoming a Legend – To Be Begun by July 10, 2012_

_Magical Secrets at Sea II: Piracy in Scotland – Discontinued/Put up for Adoption_


End file.
